Cella P. Dabelea

Associate

Cella Dabelea’s practice involves business transactions, professional liability, premises liability, and medical malpractice.

Ms. Dabelea earned her J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and her bachelor’s degree in Economics and Law from Trinity University. During law school, she interned at Hall & Evans and two small Denver firms focusing on family law and personal injury.

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado, 2023
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado

Location

Denver Office
1001 17th Street
Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202

Education

JD: University of Denver Sturm College of Law, 2023

BA: Trinity University, 2019, Economics & Law

Contact

dabeleac@hallevans.com

More About
Cella

Resume

Linkedin

Professional Associations
  • Colorado Defense Lawyers Association
  • Colorado Bar Association
  • Denver Bar Association
License
  • Ethical Leadership Certificate, NASBA Center for the Public Trust
Languages
  • Romanian
  • Spanish

John F. “Jack” Peters

Member

Jack Peters is a trial and appellate litigator. He has first chaired over fifty jury trials, tried cases to judges and arbitrators, and handled multiple appeals to state and federal appellate courts. His practice focuses on the defense of civil rights and other claims against public entities; representing school districts in a wide variety of claims, including Title IX, Title VI, IDEA, and Section 504; labor and employment litigation and counseling; administrative complaints before state and federal regulatory bodies; professional liability claims against real estate brokers and medical professionals; probate, guardianship, and other fiduciary litigation; and general commercial litigation, including securities fraud and contract disputes, including real estate broker commission disputes.

Before joining Hall and Evans, Mr. Peters was a prosecutor in Boulder County where he tried dozens of cases to verdict, handled extensive appellate work, and supervised the District Attorney’s Office law clerks. Mr. Peters graduated from Vermont Law School magna cum laude in the top 5% of his class. He served as articles editor of the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law, worked in the chambers of Justice Denise Johnson of the Vermont Supreme Court, and was a summer associate in the Shanghai office of an international law firm. He continues to mentor law students and is actively involved in the legal community. Before law school, Mr. Peters was a licensed real estate salesperson in New York City and a middle school teacher in Denver.

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado, 2012
  • Kentucky (inactive), 2011
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado

Location

Denver Office
1001 17th Street
Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202

Education

JD: Vermont Law School, 2011, magna cum laude
BA: University of Chicago, 2004, Classical Languages and Literatures

Contact

petersj@hallevans.com

More About
Jack

Resume

Linkedin

Appeals
  • People v. Penn, 32, 379 P.3d 298 (Colo. 2016)
Professional Associations
  • Colorado Bar Association
  • Boulder Bar Association, Member, Board of Directors 2017 – 2020
  • Faculty of Federal Advocates
Career Distinctions & Honors
  • Senior Articles Editor, Vermont Journal of Environmental Law, 2010 – 2011
License
  • New York State Real Estate Salesperson License, inactive
Articles & Publications // Presentations // Webinars
  • Presenter, “Diverse Juries Reach Better Verdicts: How Litigators can Create Diverse Jury Panels and Prevent Bias in Deliberations” Colorado Bar Association Litigators’ Summit, November 2023
  • Presenter, “Qualified Immunity and the Basics of Civil Claims Against Law Officers,” Boulder County Bar Association CLE, September 2020
  • Presenter, “The Legal Effect of Turning 18,” Monarch High School, 2014 – present
  • Presenter, “Finding and Using Digital Evidence,” Kentucky Prosecutors Conference, 2017
  • Trainer, Colorado District Attorney’s Council, 2014 – 2018
Professional Experience
  • Deputy District Attorney, Twentieth Judicial District, Boulder, CO, 2012 – 2019
  • Intern, Hon. Justice Denise Johnson, Vermont Supreme Court, Montpelier, VT, 2009
Languages
  • Conversational in French, Italian, and Spanish. Knowledge of Mandarin Chinese, German, and Swedish.
Blog Posts About Jack

Meredith J. Short

Associate

Meredith Short joined Hall & Evans as an Associate in 2023.  She defends clients across Missouri, Kansas, and Utah in litigation involving premises liability, hospitality & retail, transportation, construction defects, products liability, and healthcare.  Before joining Hall & Evans, Ms. Short was an Associate with a small civil litigation firm in Kansas City, Missouri. 

While attending the University of Kansas School of Law, Ms. Short interned with the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, the Douglas County Legal Aid Society, and the University of Kansas Hospital’s Medical-Legal Partnership.  She also was Vice President of the Student Bar Association and competed with the Mock Trial Counsel. 

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • Missouri, 2020
  • Kansas, 2022
  • Utah, 2025
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri
  • U.S. District Court, District of Kansas

Location

Kansas City Office
1111 Main Street
Suite 700
Kansas City, MO 64105

Education

JD: University of Kansas School of Law, 2020

BA: Kansas State University, 2017, Social Work and Modern Language-Spanish

Contact

shortm@hallevans.com

More About
Meredith

Resume

Linkedin

Career Distinctions & Honors
  • CALI Excellence for the Future Award, State Court Practice, 2019
Languages
  • Spanish

Kristan E. Lehtinen

Counsel

For the last two decades, Kristan Lehtinen’s practice has focused on medical malpractice defense and business law litigation in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ms. Lehtinen represents a broad range of clients, from local businesses to national and international companies and insurance carriers with interests in Las Vegas. She has significant experience in contractual and litigation matters before both state and federal courts in Nevada, as well as various venues before administrative and regulatory agencies. In addition to business litigation, Ms. Lehtinen’s diverse knowledge and skill encompasses insurance defense litigation, medical malpractice, real estate, and regulatory matters. She is also a court appointed arbitrator under the Eighth Judicial District Court Annexed Arbitration Program.

Location

Las Vegas Office
1160 North Town Center Drive
Suite 330
Las Vegas, NV 89144

Education

JD: California Western School of Law, 2001

BA: University of Ottawa, 1995, English, Minor in Business Administration

Contact

lehtinenk@hallevans.com

More About
Kristan

Resume

Linkedin

Career Distinctions & Honors
  • Mountain States Super Lawyers®, “Rising Star,” Business Litigation, 2009-2012
  • Nevada’s Top Attorneys, Nevada Business Magazine, 2012, 2014, 2015
  • Top Lawyer, Desert Companion Magazine, 2014
  • Top Lawyer, VegasInc. Magazine, 2012
Professional Associations
  • State Bar of Nevada
Articles & Publications // Presentations // Webinars
  • Speaker, “Top Business Practices for Start-Ups,” University of Las Vegas, Nevada Seminar, 2017
  • Moderator, “Cross Border Negotiations,” Law Pact Spring Conference, 2012
  • Panelist, “The Nuts and Bolts of Cross Border Negotiations,” American Bar Association’s Business Law Section Spring Meeting, 2009
Business & Community Service
  • UNLV University Libraries Advisory Board; Board Member, 2009-2015; Co-Chair, 2015-2020; Emeritus, 2023

Adam R. Knecht

Member

Adam Knecht concentrates his practice on both transactional and business/civil litigation. Mr. Knecht’s civil work encompasses all aspects of civil trial work, including business litigation, landlord/tenant disputes, non-competition litigation, transportation law, premises liability, and insurance defense. His civil practice includes defending catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, defending healthcare professions against medical malpractice and nursing home lawsuits, workers’ compensation defense, defense of civil rights claims, and defending the manufacturers of various products including building products and medical products. Mr. Knecht’s transactional practice involves mergers and acquisitions, general business transactions, real estate law, and securities law.

Mr. Knecht represents clients in a wide variety of litigation and appellate matters in Federal and State courts in Nevada and Utah. He has successfully defended and prosecuted cases through trial, serving as lead trial counsel in more than 20 cases generally involving complex commercial, business, premises liability, personal injury, and real estate issues. Mr. Knecht has also been recognized by Mountain States Super Lawyers® for his business litigation law practice.

Prior to law practice, Mr. Knecht had many years of business management experience in both the technology and construction industries. He also advised and provided management consulting services for various mid to large companies while working for global consulting firms Accenture and Bridge Strategy Group. Subsequent to that, Mr. Knecht was the general manager of a construction and real estate development company.

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • Nevada, 2013
  • Utah, 2021
  • New Mexico, 2022
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, District of Nevada
  • U.S. District Court, District of Utah

Location

Las Vegas Office
1160 North Town Center Drive
Suite 330
Las Vegas, NV 89144

Education

JD: University of Nevada-Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law, 2013

BS: Brigham Young University, 1998, Finance and Information Systems, Minor in Spanish

Contact

knechta@hallevans.com

More About
Adam

Resume

Linkedin

Career Distinctions & Honors
  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America; Corporate Law, 2024-2025
  • Mountain States Super Lawyers®, Business Litigation, 2022
  • Outstanding Academic Achievement Full Scholarship
  • CALI Excellence for the Future Award: Legal Writing I (2010), Legal Writing II (2011), and Evidence, (2012)
Professional Associations
  • State Bar of Nevada
  • State Bar of Utah
  • Southern Utah Bar
  • State Bar New Mexico
  • Nevada Contractors Association
  • National Association of Home Builders
Business & Community Service
  • Volunteer, Boy Scouts of America, 2000-present
  • Volunteer, Habitat for Humanity, 1989-present
Other Activities
  • Outside of work, Mr. Knecht enjoys spending time with his wife and children, running, boating, climbing, and hiking.
Languages
  • Spanish

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